Mandatory use of the Civil Online platform for simple procedure claims now permanent in Scotland

The system makes it mandatory for agents or party litigants to file their simple procedure claims directly via the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service (“SCTS”) Civil Online platform, or by using the internet interface to the SCTS case management system. This process was brought in to mitigate the risk of face-to-face contact throughout the COVID-19…

Research shows a majority of solicitors in New South Wales hope changes to legal practice will remain in place

Research commissioned by the Law Society of New South Wales in Australia shows a majority of solicitors hope changes to legal practice brought about by COVID-19 remain in place. Respondents note that the move to remote delivery of legal services has brought a net benefit with the vast majority of solicitors in NSW hoping to…

Supporting the health and wellbeing of Black attorneys in Illinois

The Commission highlighted the long-held stigma of seeking help for mental health, as well as the daily microaggressions, the residual affects of intergenerational trauma and overt acts of racism as being unique stressors for Black attorneys. Dr. Arline Geronimus coined the term “weathering effect” to evoke the emotional erosion that comes with the constant stress of racism….

The Solicitors Regulation Authority of England and Wales is consulting on proposed changes to its wellbeing standards

The consultation, running from the 4 March – 27 March follows increased concerns about the level of stress solicitors are experiencing as well as reports of bullying and harassment. The consultation addresses two key issues: The SRA has seen instances of serious, unfair and inappropriate treatment in the work place. There has been an increase in…

The Legal Services Regulatory Authority of the Republic of Ireland has launched an online survey for newly qualified solicitors and barristers

The Legal Services Regulatory Authority of the Republic of Ireland has launched an anonymous survey to capture the views of solicitors and barristers who have qualified since 2014 and have chosen not to practice. The aim of the research is to uncover the economic and other barriers faced by newly qualified barristers and solicitors. The…

The Law Society of Hong Kong is currently formulating a proposal to introduce its planned common entrance examination

The Law Society of Hong Kong is proposing the introduction of a new entrance examination, which would ensure that newly admitted solicitors studying different postgraduate law courses have all met the same academic standards on admission. Reform of legal education in Hong Kong was reported here in the ICLR newsletter in 2017, in comments by…

Lawyer Regulation Stakeholder Networks and the Global Diffusion of Ideas

This Article examines the increasingly global nature of the networks to which lawyer regulation stakeholders belong. After identifying who lawyer regulation stakeholders are, the Article identifies five different kinds of opportunities these stakeholders have to interact with global counterparts or to be exposed to global perspectives. For each of the five identified opportunities, the Article…

The Impact of International Lawyer Organizations on Lawyer Regulation

While much of the scholarly attention devoted to lawyer regulation focuses on state or national actors, the impact of international lawyer organizations has been largely ignored. Increasingly, however, a number of such lawyer organizations influence the regulation of lawyers, including, inter alia, the International Bar Association (“IBA”), the Union Internationale des Avocats (“UIA”), the Council…

The National Association of Law Placement in the USA has reported diversity to be at an all time high

On 12 January 2022 the National Association of Law Placement released its annual Report on Diversity in US Law Firms. The report announced significant gains in the diversity of new entrants into the legal profession in 2021. Summer associates showed the highest level of diversity amongst all groups of lawyers, with people of colour growing…

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